The risk of theft of small “souvenirs” from scattered stones and pieces of marble on the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis of Athens is great, since among visitors there are often people who try to take a small piece with them, although this is strictly prohibited. Surveillance cameras are a solution to this problem, according to the Ministry of Culture.
The head of the Department of Tourism (EOT) in New York shed tears when she received a letter from a certain tourist who sent back stones that he took from the Acropolis many years ago. A photo of the “package” received by EOT New York head Greta Kamateros was posted on social media. On her Facebook page, Ms. Kamateros shared the touching story of a tourist who, while on the Acropolis, took several pebbles as a souvenir. However, pangs of conscience still forced the unlucky tourist… to return them.
There may have been heated debates about surveillance cameras on the city’s streets during the Athens municipal elections, but there was no debate about the dozens of cameras installed on the Acropolis.
According to the daily newspaper tovima.grThe Ministry of Culture ordered the installation of about 150 cameras on the Sacred Rock. The new cameras are to replace 35 old ones that are already installed but found to be insufficient or incompatible with the new technology.
“However, cameras without a control center do not work, so a control center will be installed along with the new cameras,” – notes tovima.gr. The control room will receive all signals that the cameras will send electronically within 24 hours.
The story that happened in 2018 touched some and made those who understood laugh: “The tourist returned the stones he took from the Acropolis…”
The head of the Department of Tourism (EOT) in New York shed tears when she received a letter from a certain tourist who sent back stones that he took from the Acropolis many years ago. A photo of the “package” received by EOT New York head Greta Kamateros was posted on social media. On her Facebook page, Ms. Kamateros shared the touching story of a tourist who, while on the Acropolis, took several pebbles as a souvenir. However, pangs of conscience still forced the unlucky tourist… to return them.
“I just received this letter… What it contained touched me to the core. We will definitely send these stones back to Greece,” – Ms. Kamateros wrote in the comments to the photo. It shows that inside the package are small pebbles (from the Acropolis) and attached a note that says: “Sorry. I picked them up on the road near the Acropolis when I was in Greece many years ago. I ask you to return them.”
Why did this story make people who understand laugh? The fact is that the administration of the Acropolis annually delivers at least 1 dump truck with crushed stone to the sacred rock, carefully scattering it throughout the territory of the archaeological site. All more or less valuable fragments have long been collected and cataloged or replaced with copies. Understanding the passionate desire of tourists to steal even a pebble from the Acropolis, the administration solved the problem in this way. And for each such “thief” the security receives a decent bonus.
At the same time, so that tourists do not relax, guides periodically tell real stories about gigantic fines and even prison terms for those who decided to steal “a piece of the Acropolis.”
“I just received this letter… What it contained touched me to the core. We will definitely send these stones back to Greece,” – Ms. Kamateros wrote in the comments to the photo. It shows that inside the package are small pebbles (from the Acropolis) and attached a note that says: “Sorry. I picked them up on the road near the Acropolis when I was in Greece many years ago. I ask you to return them.”
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